Whenever a new set comes out, information about how to approach a draft is hard to come by. The right strategies don't spread easily through the community. It's a slow trickle, card by agonizing card, until the players of the world eventually arrive at an uneasy consensus on the correct picks, sometimes months after the introduction of the cards in question. In the interim, the Vs. System masses toil in darkness, waiting for the finer minds in the industry to root out the secrets of the format.
 
Let's kick-start things a little and ask some of the top players in the world who are looking to conquer the Green Lantern draft tables. When you want to take a step closer to the winner's circle, insights like these are as good as gold. Join us as the pros talk about the format, their preparation, and what cards they want to see when they open their packs.
 
Gabe Walls
 
GT: I guess the first question that comes to mind is, when you open your first Green Lantern pack, what cards do you want to see?
 
GW: Book of Oa or Oa.
 
GT: Book of OaorOa . . .
 
GW: Well, Book of Oa is a common, so . . . more Oa.
 
GT: What effect is it going to have on your game if you have either of those?
 
GW: No major effect. Book of Oa just gives you more options. It opens up the game a lot, you get more plot twists, and you hit your drops.
 
GT: Have you played a lot of Green Lantern?
 
GW: Yeah. Like, thirty drafts.
 
GT: Thirty! That's probably more than the rest of the field.
 
GW: (Laughs) Yeah, it's way more, probably.
 
GT: Is there a particular team you're looking to—
 
GW: No, that's the thing about this format. You play four teams in every deck.
 
GT: Really? What are the keys to the format then?
 
GW: It's just about abusing the willpower interactions. Katma Tui, Malvolio—they're two of the best examples of what I'm talking about.
 
Vidianto “Vidi” Wijaya
 
GT: Vidi, you say you haven't drafted a lot. How are you going to approach this?
 
VW: Well, I only played in one PCQ, but I won that PCQ! So that's my experience with Green Lantern.
 
GT: What are you going to look for as far as key cards or interactions?
 
VW: I think the key is . . . well, there's a lot of different tech, like No Man Escapes the Manhunters. It's ridiculous. And Sweeping Up, that's the nuts. I don't know. A lot of people are trying to force Manhunters—though the team's not good—because it's so underdrafted.
 
GT: So, you can actually get this huge bunch of Manhunters—
 
VW: Yeah, exactly. The deck isn't good, you have no willpower, you get dominated by Battle of Wills—you just suck!
 
GT: (Laughs)
 
VW: Yeah, no willpower whatsoever. I don't know. The Emerald Enemies are the most ridiculous team ever. That location, Prison Planet, gives everyone +2 ATK. That thing is insane.
 
GT: Alright, you open a pack. What cards do you want to see?
 
VW: I want to see No Man Escapes the Manhunters, obviously. Sweeping Up, maybe Uppercut. I like Anti-Matter also—Thunderous Onslaught gives +2 ATK, and if you move an Anti-Matter character out [of the hidden area], it cannot be stunned. I'm probably going to try to go Emerald Enemies/Green Lanterns or Emerald Enemies/Anti-Matter. Some combination of those three teams. Everything except for the Manhunters!
 
GT: If you saw early on that it was safe to go Manhunters—
 
VW: No, I would never do that. The Manhunters are like X-Statix in Marvel Knights. I always got screwed when I drafted X-Statix, so no way, man. I'll never touch those X-Statix or Manhunters.
 
Ryan Jones
 
GT: OK, Green Lantern. How do you approach it, and what cards are key to you?
 
RJ: Well, I never try to force anything. If the person to my right goes in the same direction, I'm screwed. I do like Emerald Enemies. They seem pretty strong. I don't like the Green Lanterns, because they seem over-drafted. I don't like the Manhunters, because it's too hard to get a good deck. Anti-Matter is OK.
 
GT: So, ideally, you want Emerald Enemies to open up, and if that opportunity comes, you're definitely going to pounce on it.
 
RJ: Yeah, I want to see people passing those cards. That would be nice.
 
GT: Are there certain cards in Emerald Enemies that you're looking to pick up?
 
RJ: I like Goldface a lot, but you can't really take him until you know you're going Emerald Enemies. Otherwise, he's dead, and you can't play him. I like Empire of Tears, and you can generally get that pretty late. Most people don't like the cost on it.
 
GT: Is it underrated?
 
RJ: Usually, by most people. In some circles, players are taking it first pick.
 
GT: How much Green Lantern drafting have you done?
 
RJ: About ten drafts. I feel prepared.
 
GT: Good luck.
 
Hans Joachim Hoeh
 
GT: So Hans, how much Green Lantern drafting have you done in preparation for this Day 2?
 
HJH: I'd say about six drafts or so.
 
GT: What are the key cards and strategies for you? When you open up the first pack, what are you looking for?
 
HJH: Hmm . . . well, you can go for the “Manhunters only” deck if you have Rocket Red.
 
GT: I've actually heard a couple of people mention that. So Rocket Red is an important card there?
 
HJH: Yeah, you need that card. That's the deck. If you have it, you will draft around it, get enough Army characters to sacrifice on turn 5, and draw extra cards. With that deck, it's usually game on turn 5. You have this huge guy who is able to attack on turn 6 and win against 6-drops.
 
GT: So that is a possible option for you. If the Manhunters aren't there for you, what else will you be looking for?
 
HJH: If they're not there, you can take any team. You can go for the willpower powers, and there are many of them. You can do the concealed thing with Anti-Matter and try to get your hands on Thunderous Onslaught. You can have some good turns where you get your guys in and they cannot be stunned.
 
GT: What are some cards you want to see when you open your first pack? What would put a smile on your face?
 
HJH: (Laughs) I actually don't really know.
 
GT: You'll be able to adapt to whatever you open, in other words.
 
HJH: I think so! Still, because the product release was late in Europe, the Americans have had more time, so they might be better.
 
GT: Good luck today.
 
HJH: Thank you.
 
Cory Eisenhard
 
CE: Let me tell you one thing about Green Lantern Corps.
 
GT: What's that?
 
CE: The combat twists are really bad in this set, and all of the guys have huge butts. I mean, if you're playing against a 17 DEF guy and attacking into him with a 13 ATK guy on turn 7, and they're both 7-drops, you're not going to be able to play the three plot twists you'll need to make your opponent's guy a little smaller and your guy a little bigger.
 
GT: In that way, it's a lot different from Marvel Knights.
 
CE: Yeah. When I was drafting, I would find a lot of the time that I would just team attack into my opponent's 7-drop with my 6- and 7-drop. And if my opponent had Coast City or something, I'd just be like, “I've lost this game.” I'd find myself attacking a 6-drop with my 7-drop.
 
GT: So, anything that pumps offense is at more of a premium in Green Lantern.
 
CE: Yeah. You really need to get some of those things. Cards that give ATK boosts on the defense are very good. Your opponents' guys have such big butts, and they're going to be attacking down the curve or team attacking your guys, and you're not going to be stunning back at all. I mean, there's a 13 ATK/19 DEF 7-drop! He's horrible, but still. Also, the 10 ATK/17 DEF guy. If you have an 8-drop in your deck, you're golden. At least half of the games go to turn 8.
 
GT: Really?
 
CE: Yeah. It seems like with either the 10/17 or the 13/19 7-drop, your opponent is going to have to do a lot to stun it. You'll take like, 7 endurance loss that turn. There are a few cards that Emerald Enemies and Manhunters have that let you go aggro. Also, Battle of Wills and Thunderous Onslaught are both good. If you can keep an extra guy or two on the table, it goes a long way.
  
These are just some examples of the draft theories being applied as the professionals battle for Top 8 in this new and exciting format. Stay tuned to Metagame.com to check out standings, results, and additional features in an afternoon filled with Green Lantern and Marvel Knights draft!